Congo Drops Military Training Plan; Arabs Objected to Israel’s Role

April 17, 1963

LONDON (Apr. 16)

Under pressure from the Arab states, Congo Premier Cyrille Adoula has dropped his plan to have his national defense forces reorganized and retrained by several NATO powers and by Israel, according to information reaching here today from the Congo capital, Leopoldville.

Mr. Adoula had planned to use Israeli training for paratroops. Other countries involved in his plan were Belgium, Norway, Italy and Canada, while the United States was to supply equipment for the program. While the Arabs objected to Israel’s role, neutralists and Africans objected to Belgium, and the Soviet Union objected to having NATO nations play a leading part in the program.